Among the plethora of artwork on display in Miami over Art Basel, Larry Li’s hyper-stylised paintings at Residency Art Gallery stood out.
Immersed in the personal history of Li’s Chinese-American experience, his striking exhibition, entitled MIGRATION AMNESIA, offered a sense of nostalgia and trauma.
Featured in Li’s presentation was Got some tattoos this year, my momma won’t like them (2022), a large-scale acrylic and oil pastel painting depicting a car engulfed by flames. Overlaid with cultural symbols and tattoo-style line drawings, Li’s powerful painting interrogates personal and political narratives, from both China and America.
As protests continue across China over COVID-19 restrictions, Li’s work particularly resonates. Through family photographs and imagery of Beijing‘s Tiananmen Square—where student-led protests ended in massacre and military repression in 1989—Li creates fragmented, figurative compositions that are filled with a sense of longing for change.
A recent graduate of Los Angeles’ Otis College of Art and Design, Li held solo exhibitions at Another Place Gallery, New York, in February and F2T Gallery, Milan, in July 2022.
Main image: Larry Li, Got some tattoos this year, my momma won't like them (2022). Acrylic, oil pastel and oil sticks on canvas. 274.3 x 365.7 cm. Exhibition View: Larry Li: Migration Amnesia, Residency Art Gallery, Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami (29 November–3 December 2023). Image courtesy Art Basel and Residency Art Gallery.
A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services